Bob's special restore, help !

[Art]

Hi there,
I've just registered and am in the process of restoring a Bob's Special. I'm not sure if it is a pre or post fire model. I am interested in getting feedback from anyone who is interested in seeing how it's going and in providing advice on some problems I'm having.

I have replaced both stems and spliced the in rails onto new decks. I now have a misalignment in the stems and I have to confess that I don't know if it was there before I did the work :-(. When I put a line between the stems I am out 1.25 in.

Another problem ( that I should have noticed before) is that one rail has lost it's shape. Several ribs are broken off in the centre of the canoe along with a good size hole in the planking and it was left for some time resting on the damaged side. I have already done a lot of work , new stems, decks, spliced inrails and five replaced ribs so far. I am hoping that I don't have to redo the the work I've already done. Help!!!

thanks, Art

 

[Fitz]

Bob's

Hi Art.

Welcome to the Forum. I did a Bob's last year that is probably the same vintage. There is a photo album here showing a few pictures of the project.

http://sports.webshots.com/album/548827208vHhfnr?start=0

I can't offer much help on your "shape of the canoe" issues, except that I doubt 1.25 inches stem alignment will affect performance and it is hard to say from the pictures, but maybe a new inwale is warranted. I didn't have to deal with that and this canoe was pretty fair. Maybe someone else can chime in.

PS: I went back and looked at your photos again, and I still could not see much, but is your center thwart too short or too long, thereby affecting the shape of the rail??

 

[Art]

stems and thwarts

Dear Fitz,
Thanks for your reply. There seems to be a concensus that the stem misalignment is not a great concern. It's funny that I have been canoeing since a child but have never looked as closely at a canoe as when starting to work on one.
Your comment on the thwart possibly being not correct length is interesting. That's been on the back of my mind as well. I had checked the wood Canoe Identification Guide and there is specs there for post and pre fire chestnuts. This canoe fits all the specs of a post era canoe,(ie. wider cant ribs, less taper on in wales, semi-circle shaped decks rather than heartshape)except for possibly the beam. The Guide says earlier models have a 34"beam, the later ones 37". This canoe was out of shape with four broken ribs in the centre so I can't really measure the beam as described in the guide ( measure from outside to outside of canvas at widest point). When I measure the width at the thwart it is 34.75" ,including the inwales. It seems to me that this measurement should be greater. What do you think?
I have attached some pictures which will hopefully be clearer.

Thanks, Art

 

[Art]

I should have mentioned that the pictures are with both the original thwart(first two) and the others are with a longer piece as a thwart.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

similar here

A Chestnut I did had a short thwart and the middle was hourglassed I installed a one inch longer yoke and removed most of the pinched in look.

 

[Fitz]

Bob's

Hi Art:

Sorry, I have been away for a few days. I think the longer thwart could help, but then you might lose some tumblehome which I rather liked on my Bob's. I'm not sure how your might restore the tumblehome.

I think my Bob's is post-fire, but it does have a heart-shaped deck.

I will try and measure the thwart and get back to you.

My canoe also had two additional thwarts and no bow seat when I got it, but the additional thwarts were clearly added later, and I added a bow seat. No real evidence that it had a bow seat originally. There were hanger holes but no evidence of carriage bolts being installed.

Fitz.